Pidcock takes final stage to win Junior Tour of Wales in style

Thomas Pidcock completed a fine weekend at the Junior Tour of Wales by winning stage five and claiming overall victory but it was Oscar Mingay who took the road race series title.

The Junior Tour of Wales marked the tenth and final round of the British Cycling Junior Road Series – with the overall honours going to Mingay of Wales.

This weekend though, it was Pidcock of PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield ERT who led from start to finish after first earning the yellow jersey on Friday as he equalled James Knox’s record of four stage wins.

Zappi Racing Team’s Ben Healy finished eighth on Stage Five and was second in the General Classification which saw him collect the blue young rider jersey.

The King of the Mountains victory went to Fred Wright of VC Londres while Welshman Rhys Britton was winner of green sprinters’ jersey with Zappi Team Racing winning the team prize.

Stage Five

The final stage of the 2017 SD Sealants Junior Tour of Wales was a scenic loop around the Brecon Beacons and ending – as the first stage did – on the summit of the Tumble.

At the first summit at Mynydd Aberdar, Wright was pipped to maximum points by Healy, with Pidcock taking third and Mark Donovan fourth.

The first sprint of the day in Penderyn was the only one to carry time bonuses and the four green jersey points and 15 seconds went to Ben Barlow with Michael Hall second.

As the race approached the high point of the moors Barlow dropped Hall and started to build up a solo lead which edged out towards the minute mark before slowly coming down.

With Barlow was on his own, he took the next four sprint points with Ethan Vernon, Britton and Anthony Anderson taking the remaining points but by the feed zone at Tal Y Bryn the race was back together.

At the final King of the Mountains prime at Bwlch it was Healy again from Donovan, Pidcock and Wright but fourth was enough to confirm the VC Londres rider as polka dot jersey winner.

The final sprint at Cwrt-y-Gollen went to John Buller with Ronan Toomey of Munster Academy taking second. Adam Kelly took third and Britton’s fourth saw him clinch the green jersey competition.

As they started climbing the Tumble there was an eight-strong breakaway containing the top three GC contenders – Wright, Healey and Pidcock – as well as Donovan, Tobias Dalhaus, Jacques Sauvagnargues, Mason Hollyman and Mingay.

And as the group crested the rise it was the yellow jersey of Pidcock who was clear, with time enough to celebrate a good stage win and a fine overall victory.

Behind him, Donovan took the bunch sprint from Wright and Dalhaus. Healy came home eighth to clinch the Young Rider award with Zappi Racing Team crowned team champions.

“Yesterdays was such a hard stage – I was on my knees by the end of that – but today I was feeling alright,” said Pidcock after his win.

“Backstedt were driving going into the Tumble and that stopped any attacks – that was a big help. I don’t know why they were working.

“I didn’t really have the confidence to go from the bottom, I just followed the moves – but then at the top I thought ‘I’m the strongest here’ so I just went.

“Getting the lead at the start helped because they’re not going to let me get away easily.”